Sports Ministry pulls up BCCI chief

Unhappy at the "unilateral announcement" that India would play Pakistan at Karachi during the Asian Test Championship (ATC) in September, the Sports Ministry has conveyed its displeasure to the President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India AC Muthiah over the issue.

Taking exception to the reported assurance given by the BCCI to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on the Indian cricket team's participation in the ATC, Sports Minister Uma Bharti said the Sports Secretary has already conveyed the Ministry's displeasure on this to Muthiah.

"They (BCCI) should not take so much liberty in making such announcements," she told reporters.

"To play in Pakistan, the Board has to first give a written proposal to the Sports Ministry which in turn would forward it to the Ministry of External Affairs. The final decision rests with the MEA," Bharti said.

"No such proposal for the Indian cricket team's tour to Pakistan in September to participate in the ATC has been received by the Ministry," she said asking "where is the question of my reaction to the Pakistan Board's announcement that India will play against it's team in Karachi."

Asked about reports about India making some sort of goodwill gesture on the eve of Gen Parvez Musharraf's visit, Bharti said "there is no such proposal with her Ministry now. The MEA will take a decision about bilateral ties in the changed scenario and obviously cricketing ties would also figure in that," she said adding "When the ties through sports are to be discussed, the views of the Sports Ministry would be taken into account. Beyond this, whatever is being written in the media is a matter of pure speculation," she said.

However, she stressed that like arts and culture, sports too had a role in promoting bilateral ties of two countries.

Asked whether the Government's decision not to play cricket with Pakistan in a bilateral series had contributed to further souring of relations, the Sports Minister said "The bilateral cricketing ties had nothing to do with the souring of the relations between the two countries. It was the souring of the relations which resulted in the snapping of bilateral cricketing ties," she added.